So what exactly scores you points? After I completed the game the first time I had the lowest score on the table of anybody who'd completed it. I went back and found all the survivors and researched everything and finished it again, and this time I've the third lowest score. Do I need to do it all faster? Do I need to keep on killing aliens and mining resources? Will my score rise indefinitely so long as I keep on killing things? Is there a bonus for fast completion? My game-time was about 8 hours (less the first time, 8hr 13min the second); is that fast or slow? I like the idea of an online scoreboard, but I'm unsure what it represents.

You get points for killing enemies, researching, rescuing people, killing bosses and finishing the game. People are starting to boost their scores by taking a bit longer in zones and just going on a kill frenzy. You don't get extra points for doing things quickly, you do get extra points for killing harder enemies so hang around in zone 5 a while if you can take the pace .

I'd question whether this is really the best way to work scoring. Progress in the game provides technologies that make it increasingly easy to stay alive and continue scoring. Wandering around zone 5 for kills with all the upgrades isn't all that hard - there's more chance of the game crashing than actually dying. Saved games and spare ships mean that there's little likelihood of any given game ending. Once someone has a highscore he or she can get a better highscore simply by loading the same game and playing on. Getting to the top of the board (and staying there) will ultimately become a matter of persistence moreso than skill. (That's assuming that people are all that bothered about highscores.)

I'd suggest (for future games) one of the following scoring mechanisms:

1) Total score from killing enemies proportional to square root of enemies killed.
2) Score for killing any given enemy diminishes over time.
3) Multiplier bonus based on completion time.

Of course, maybe hard mode addresses these problems to some degree. I'll have to try it.

Much as I'd like to accept that challenge, you'll need to give me time. Your game has already consumed valuable hours that should have been used to learn Renderware (is this package particularly widely used?) and write essays. Once my deadlines are passed I can focus some time on getting through hard mode. In the meantime I need to go simulate a field of wobbling weebles...

Renderware is extremely widely used in the larger mainstream development houses, generally those more interested in completing projects quickly and/or focusing on gameplay rather than those interested in technology innovation. Hence "id" will never use it.

The other problem is it costs too much to be useful to the indie developer, I think the whole package was about $75,000 per platform last time I looked (a while ago).

Well you seem to have sussed Starscape out pretty good, with that insight and your l33t ski77z I expect to see you at number1 on the high score table :)

The challenge has been made !

What game name are you using so we can keep an eye on the score board?

Weeble. I'm up at 3rd place or thereabouts right now. Still got quite a way to go.

Poo Bear wrote:

p.s. I think the only way you will manage it is to use hard mode.

Probably true. Good thing I did.

Poo Bear wrote:

p.p.s ph3@r the space worms !!

I did not ph3@r the space worms, and they made me pay for my arrogance. When I lost my only devastator hull in zone 4 by getting trapped between two worms and a big red rock, I wasn't sure I could keep going. My backup was a dinky little thing with an Engine1 and two Blaster2s. I even had to recycle stuff just to get a gravity beam and a shield. Still, I made those worms pay!!!

Hmm, starscape2 where you go into the heart of the grid to destroy the space worm menace forever? What do you think - all the enemies would be variations on organic worm lifeforms, bosses would be very nice i.e. giant tentacled wormy nasties with multi-fanged jaws and what not.

Hmm, starscape2 where you go into the heart of the grid to destroy the space worm menace forever? What do you think - all the enemies would be variations on organic worm lifeforms, bosses would be very nice i.e. giant tentacled wormy nasties with multi-fanged jaws and what not.

Two words: Bionetic upgrades. Take genetic material from the various creatures you encounter to grow your own ship components! Combine various strains to refine the process and discover new technology!